


Super Soldier Love

by Marvelous34



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Is a Good Bro, Dating, Drama, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Love, Past Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Protective Steve Rogers, Smut, Tony Being Tony, future smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-06-24 04:06:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19715896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marvelous34/pseuds/Marvelous34
Summary: Harlow has always had bad luck dating and felt she will never find ‘the one’.  Until one day when her friends sign her up for a “dating challenge” they found on the internet.  Begrudgingly, Harlow agrees and she finds herself moving into a large house with 11 other women.  The surprise?  She was vying for the love of a certain Captain; Steve Rogers himself.





	1. Chapter 1

Steve and Bucky were out for their regular morning jog around the Avengers Facility in Upstate New York. The two of them ran in sync, rather fast through the wooded trail. Steve loved the earthy smell of the forest on the property. It was his favorite place to jog. It reminded him a bit of being back during the war when he and the Howling Commandos would hide and wait to ambush the Hydra Nazi’s. This time however was different. It was more relaxed, Steve himself was more relaxed. He didn’t have to worry about anyone coming out to attack. 

The leaves crunched beneath their steady feet as they set an easy run; the warmth of the day causing the two men to break out into a mild sweat. Every once and a while on their jogs, they would run into some wildlife; deer mainly. Steve loved to see family of deer together, with both parents and a few babies. But it always made him feel a bit empty inside; made him feel like he was missing something. 

It was no surprise the two best friends were doing everything together. They were in fact, the only two single Avengers left. Tony had Pepper, Thor had Jane, Vision and Wanda were together, Bruce and Natasha, Clint had a wife and kids, Sam was dating Darcy and Maria and Rhodey were together. 

Tony was always teasing them in his own fashion; yet Tony just wanted to see them each find a girl and settle down together. Everyone else was happy, and he could see in Steve’s eyes that there was something missing in his life. That was when he put his plan into place. 

“What the hell?” Bucky remarked as he and Steve came upon a large clearing a few miles away from the Avengers Facility. “When did this get here?” Standing in front of them was a rather very large house. It was modern house with large windows and sharp edges. The house was dark grey on the outside and as the two super soldiers continued to inspect the house, they found a pool and hot tub on the other side. 

“Is this Tony’s new house or something?” Steve asked with confusion, his hands on his slim hips. “I mean this is still his property line.”

Bucky shrugged next to him, eyeing the hot tub. “Not sure. He never mentioned to us he was building a new house. But that hot tub looks mighty fine right about now.”

Steve couldn’t help but chuckle at his best friend, giving him a slight punch to the shoulder. “Punk,” he quipped, shaking his head. An alert on Steve’s phone had him grabbing it from his pocket. “Tony wants to see his back at the facility.”

“Race ya?” Bucky smirked, giving Steve a soft slap on his head before racing off into the woods; Steve hot on his trail. 

In no time the two soldiers were back in front of the facility, barely even out breath. “Cheater,” Steve remarked as he walked through the door and up the stairs. 

Tony was sitting at his desk in his office, door wide open. “Ah. You’re here. Take a seat fellas,” Tony said as he got up to shut the door behind him. 

Steve and Bucky each took a seat opposite of Tony; both wary of what he was up to as Tony seemed a bit chipper this morning. And Tony was never chipper in the morning.   
“We found a house on your property, a few miles down,” Steve spoke. 

“Well as it just so happens, THAT is what I was going to talk to you about,” Tony stated, taking his seat across from the soldiers with a grin on his face. 

Bucky looked to Steve, then back to Tony with furrowed brows. “Do you want us to move in there or something?”

Tony scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Of course not. Well, actually I do. Just hear me out for a minute. You two are both single and I think you are damn well ready to mingle if you catch my drift. Whenever we have our big ‘family’ dinners here, it seems like even though you two have each other, as friends of course, that you are missing that one special spark in your life. So, I’ve created a sort of, personal, ad for the two of you.”

Steve blew out a deep breath. “What the hell do you mean ‘personal’ ad Tony?”

“What I mean Cap, is that with extensive background checks, surveys and questionnaires, 12 lucky women will be living with you and Barnes in that house. Six vying for a chance at love with you, and six for Bucky.”

“That sounds fucking awesome!” Bucky cheered with a large smile on his face; Steve grimaced at him. 

“Are you kidding me Stark? That sounds like some damn dating show!” 

“It is! But it’s not,” Tony replied. “It will take place like a game show, with little challenges for you and the women and each challenge, you get to choose a woman to go on a date   
with. And every couple of days, you will be in charge of sending one of the women home. Maybe someone you didn’t feel any connection with. And the best part of this all? It   
will be top secret. It won’t be filmed, the women will have no idea that it will be you two they are vying for until they meet you at the house and I won’t even have F.R.I.D.A.Y attached if you don’t want it. It will be completely private from all media.”

Steve hung his head low, knowing this wasn’t a good idea. But he knew Bucky was ecstatic about it. Steve wanted nothing but the best for his friend, and he wanted to see him happy. 

“You know I’m down for this. It’s tough dating women, especially because the only reason they want to date us is because we are a part of the Avengers. Come on Steve, what do you say? You know I wouldn’t do this without you.”

Steve rested his elbows on his knees, placing his face in his hands. He wasn’t the type of guy to date multiple women at once, and he also wasn’t the type of guy to send home women and break their hearts. But Bucky had a good point. Steve found it increasingly difficult to not only find a women who was interested in him, not him being an Avenger,   
but also to find a women who he was interested in. He found most of the women out there to be nowhere near what he found interesting. 

Sure Steve had plenty of dates with very beautiful women over the last few years, but he never connected with any of them. While they were gorgeous, it was their personality that he didn’t vibe with. He noticed almost all of the women he went on dates with were more attached to their phones and social media. And the conversation? It always seemed forced and that they had nothing to talk about. 

“What if we don’t find anything we like about these women?” Steve asked Tony. 

Tony shook his head. “Not possible. With the algorithm I cooked up for this, we will pick only six women for each of you and they will be perfectly matched and tailored to what you are looking for. That I can promise you.”

Steve sat back in his chair, arms folded across his large chest as he chewed on his bottom lip. This idea was starting to sound more intriguing by the minute. Steve still didn’t want to send any women home and break their hearts, but at the same time, he wanted to find love. 

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

~~~

“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” Harlow barked out, rapidly shaking her head and waving her hands around in front of her face. Her two best friends, and roommates, Jenna and Blair stared at her; mouths hanging wide open. 

“Did you just fucking swear?” Blair demanded. “Jenna, Harlow just swore! Harlow you NEVER swear, and when you do, it’s certainly not THAT word.”

Harlow rolled her eyes before scanning the document in front of her yet again. “I can’t believe you two did this without my permission.” She was looking at a document she printed out from her email, saying she was chosen as a ‘contestant’ to be on what appeared to be some sort of non-televised dating challenge. 

“Oh come on Low,” Jenna whined, using their nickname for her. “You’ve had the worst luck in men for how long now? No offense to you hun, but you don’t exactly pick Mr. Right when you decide to date someone.” 

Harlow set the piece of paper down, folding her arms across her chest as she let out an exaggerated huff of annoyance. “They weren’t ALL that bad. What about Luke?”  
“Once you finally gave him some ass, he ditched you,” Jenna commented. 

“Brian?”

“Cheated on you,” Blair remarked. 

“Chad?”

Both girls whipped their head in Harlow’s direction. “Low, that guy was a fucking maniac. He slapped you in the face….more than once!! Not only did he physically abuse you, he mentally and emotionally abused you too.”

Harlow winced, remembering the times her ex-boyfriend had hit her. “I don’t think he meant it. I was kind of being a bitch.”

Both of her friends came to her aid, sitting on either side of her on the couch. “Sweetie, you didn’t deserve what he did to you. You are such a beautiful woman with an old soul. You deserve a true gentleman that will treat you right,” Blair said as she gripped Harlow’s hand. 

“And how do you know this isn’t some sort of scam huh? How do you know the second I get to wherever the hell this place is that I won’t be kidnapped and killed?” 

Blair squeezed her hands around Harlow, shaking her head. “Because I may have done some hacking and I know this is legit.” Harlow gave her a confused look. “Ok, well I don’t want to be 100 sure about this, but Tony Stark’s logo was all over it. So either he is behind this entire thing, or they at least used his algorithm to see who is most likely a match. Either way, it’s a win win situation. Tony Stark wouldn’t work for somebody without a full background check of his own.”

“I just,” Harlow began to say before blowing out a puff of breath, “I need to think about this.” Harlow got up from the couch and made her way into her bedroom. 

As she shut the door, she went to take a seat on her bed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She knew her friends were doing this for all the right reasons, but Harlow couldn’t help but feel betrayed as they did this behind her back. 

The three of them had known each other since high school and lived together all throughout college as well. They all had different personalities and looks, yet they all remained best friends for years. Jenna was tall, skinny and blonde. She loved working out and being fit. Blair on the other hand was the complete opposite; wearing nothing but dark clothing and being glued to the computer, usually hacking her way into things. She was on the shorter side, standing at 5’1” and had short jet black hair. Harlow, well, she didn’t really seem to fit into one particular crowd. Harlow was average in height at 5’5” and also average in weight. She wasn’t on the skinny side. She had a descent size chest and a bubble butt as well, with no thigh gap. Harlow was more of an introvert and extremely shy, mainly around big groups of people. She had long wavy brown hair and a round face that easily turned red with blushing. And her friends were right, she was an old soul. She liked the simple things in life and in a relationship; someone to open doors for her, to take her on romantic candlelit dates. 

Harlow laid back on her plush comforter, debating on what to do about this situation. Without a doubt, her friends were right about her dating life. She had horrible taste in men and her relationships never lasted long; except for Chad. Chad and her had dated for nearly two years; things going bad about halfway through their relationship. At first he was picture perfect in her eyes, but then the verbal and emotional abuse started, followed by physical abuse. It never escalated passed anything other than a slap to her face or head, but she was grateful her friends were there to pull her free from that disaster. 

It’s not like Harlow had to worry about being fired from a job for being away too long; she was a freelance artist after all and sold her work on Etsy, making quite a profit. She loved what she did and couldn’t be happier with it. But there was still that special someone missing from her life. 

She looked around her room, decorated in neutral tones and paint splatters. She, luckily, got the largest room because of her artist job and the fact that she worked from home. The three of them lived in a rented house in Vermont, just on the border of Upstate New York. Harlow grew up in this area and absolutely loved it. 

As she laid her head on the pillow, she closed her eyes, hoping her decision would come to her when she woke up. 

+++++

Harlow woke up with a yawn, stretching her stiff limbs from a surprisingly well rested night. Looking at the clock she saw it was nearly 9 in the morning. She wrapped herself in her robe and slipped on her slippers before opening the door and making her way sluggishly into the kitchen. 

There, she saw Jenna and Blair already at the kitchen island counter sipping on coffee. Jenna smiled at her and pointed to the coffee pot, letting her know there was still some left for her. 

Harlow got her favorite mug down from the cabinet. It was decorated in paint splatter with the word ‘Artist’ on it; a gift from Blair one year for Christmas. After filling up the mug, she took a greedy sip before placing it down on the counter; both her friends looking at her anxiously. 

She let out a deep breath before smiling. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

Cheers erupted from Jenna and Blair as they got off their stools and came to hug Harlow. 

“Oh my god we have so much to do! We need to get the itinerary to see what you need to pack. Can we make all this work? It’s only two days away before you need to be there. Where’s the paperwork, we need to read through it again!” Jenna’s words tumbled from her mouth in what seemed to be one long breath as both Harlow and Blair began to laugh. 

They sat down on the couch and read through everything they needed. Harlow needed to be dropped off at the airport, yet she wouldn’t be getting on a plane. Instead, a car would be picking her up. Looking through the paperwork, they read what was recommended to bring. Regular clothing of course, but also one or two evening gowns, along with some fancier dresses for dates should the situation arise. 

“We need to go shopping!” Jenna squealed as she wiggled in her seat. “You don’t have any evening gowns and you are very much lacking in the fancy dress department. Go get   
dressed and I’ll take you!”

Three Hours Later

Harlow was exhausted by the time she and Jenna got back to the house after their shopping trip. Jenna tried, yet failed, to get Harlow to agree on getting her nails done; it just wasn’t for her. If anything, Harlow would paint her nails a simple color from time to time, but that was about it. 

To say the shopping trip was a success would be an understatement. Jenna sure knew how to shop, and knew where to find the best deals. By the end of the day, Harlow had two evening gowns and a handful of gorgeous dresses that would suffice for dates. She also had another handful of more simple everyday dresses that could be used as date dresses. All in all, it was a good trip. 

By the end of the evening, Harlow began to grow anxious thinking about it all. There was an excitement about it, knowing that based off her personality alone that she was picked. Today, all guys usually cared about were if you were pretty or not first, and then they would get to know you. But not this time. This time around she was picked solely on her personality and it made her relax a little bit. 

She thought back to what Blair had said; saying that Tony Stark must somehow be involved in this. She didn’t want to think too hard into it however and get her hopes up. Harlow of course knew that Tony Stark was part of the Avengers, but she couldn’t imagine that he would have gotten one of the Avengers to sign up to do something this radical.   
As Harlow got into her bed that night, she pulled out her notebook and began to write down a list of everything she needed to pack as she didn’t want to forget anything. There wasn’t a limit on how many suit cases she needed to bring but she definitely didn’t want to overdo it. 

Harlow shut off the lamp next to her bed and laid her head on the pillow; a smile gracing her lips as she hoped this extreme idea would finally help her meet ‘the one’.


	2. Chapter 2

“Wow,” Steve breathed out as he and Bucky walked into what would be considered their new house for the next month at least. Saying it was large would be putting it mildly. The house was ginormous, but alas everything Tony did was extreme. 

“What do you guys think?” Tony said as he rounded the corner and came into view of the two Super Soldiers. The house was very modern and done in neutral tones. “Come on. I’ll give you the tour.”

The three men walked through the large entry way and right into the living room. There were three long individual grey couches. Two of the couches faced one another while the other was off to the side, making a sharp ‘U’ shape with a large black coffee table in the middle. Along the left side of the house was wall the wall windows. Outside was the view of the pool and hot tub, and the forest as well. It was quite a spectacular view. 

“So here we have the living room. As you can see there is not a television in here. That would defeat the purpose of getting to know the women. In fact, there will be no technology aloud, except cell phones. But I will be putting an app on their phone that will not involve any kind of social media, texting or phone calling. Basically, all they can do is play games on it. However there is a small media room right here,” Tony said as he opened the door down a small hallway off the living room. “While here, the women can Skype with friends or family, but they will not be allowed to say any details about who you two are and the challenges they will be doing. That will all be a part of the NDA they must sign before coming here. There is also a small library I had built,” Tony said as he showed them a doorway from the living room. Inside were two couches with a wall filled to the brim of books on a bookcase. 

They walked further into the house and into the kitchen. It was all stainless steel appliances and a mixture of dark grey and black marble countertops. The cabinets were white and as Tony opened the door to the fridge, freezer and panty, Steve’s brows rose at the sight of the vast amount of food that was already stocked. “I’ll have people come every few days to re-stock the food and beverages.” 

Tony, Steve and Bucky made their way up the curving staircase and to the second floor. “Alright there are four bedrooms on this floor. I have decided to put each time into one bedroom each. That leaves two spare bedrooms in case there is any drama and someone needs a break away from the others.” Tony snickered as he continued on. “Each bedroom has its own bathroom also. So that’s a bonus.”

They made their way up to the third floor of the expanse house. “And here we have your rooms,” Tony announced. “Barnes will be in here,” Tony pointed to the right, “And Cap   
you will be in here.” 

Steve walked into his room and couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. The room was very minimal, just like his old apartment. There was a large king sized bed in the middle of the room with two nightstands on either side. The bedding was navy blue and the pillow cases were red. A large Captain America shield painting hung right above the bed. Along one wall was a large dresser which a record player sat atop. 

Steve walked over to the record player with a smile. Looking to the left, he saw a bookcase that was filled with records. The opposite wall had the bathroom and a closet. There was also a door that connected his room to Bucky’s. 

“Steve this is fucking amazing!” Bucky roared as he bustled into his room. 

“Language,” Steve laughed at his best friend. 

Bucky smiled, shaking his head at his friend before he came and wrapped him in his arms. “I’ve got a good feeling about this Stevie. We are both going to finally find our dames.”

As the two best friends shared a moment of happiness, Tony waltzed into the room. “This isn’t even the best part yet.”

The men frowned at Tony as they followed him out of the room and to a door in the middle of the hall. “This right here is a little something special I had built just for you two.” Tony opened a door in the middle of the hallway, revealing an elevator. 

The three men stepped inside and took the elevator down into the basement. Upon opening the doors, the two super soldiers smiled at what they saw before them. It was a state of the art gym, designed just for them. 

“Don’t think I wouldn’t forget about your avenging duties,” Tony remarked as the two super soldiers walked around the immense space before them. There were treadmills, weights and mats to spar on; it was everything they could have imagined. “I still need you two in tip top shape in case we get called for an emergency. Which by the way, you two will not be getting out of just because of the twelve women staying in this house. If duty calls, then duty calls.”

Bucky and Steve gave Tony a nod, knowing just how important their jobs were to the safety of not only the women who will be living here, but to all mankind. 

“Alright. Let’s get on to the last part of the tour,” Tony announced, waving his hands around in the air as the two soldiers followed him. They made their way back into the elevator and then down the steps to the first floor. From the dining room there was a sliding glass door that went outside. 

The backyard was breathtaking to say the least. There was a very large underground pool with a hot tub attached. The hot tub alone could easily fit 20 people and the backdrop of it all was the forest itself. It really made for a picture perfect date. 

“I can see myself in this hot tub surrounded by gorgeous women,” Bucky spoke as he grinned, running his hands together back and forth as Steve shook his head at him. He knew Bucky had been a womanizer back in the day, but he also knew he was ready to settle down. 

Steve and Bucky would stay up late at night, talking about their past and their futures; Bucky admitting he wanted to find a dame to settle down with and to finally have a family. He didn’t think he would ever get that chance with Hydra and all, but ever since Steve found him and ‘rescued’ him, he knew he had that chance and he didn’t want to lose it. 

“So here is what is going to happen. I want you two to get whatever personal belongings you need from the compound and bring them over. You can stay the night here if you want. Tomorrow night the ladies will arrive but I will need you to stay in your rooms. Once the ladies arrive and get situated, I’ll get them into the living room and explain how everything is going to work. Once that is done, I will have you two come downstairs and that is when the fun will begin. God I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize it will be you two.”

~~~

“Are you all packed?” Jenna asked as she poked her head into Harlow’s bedroom. 

Harlow looked at her with a smile. “I believe so.” She had spent most of the previous night packing; too nervous to sleep. She had her evening gowns in a special suitcase that Jenna had let her borrow. Then she packed all of her dresses, date night and regular dresses into another suite case. Then came her regular clothing that she normally wore; t-shirts and jeans, along with her underwear and bras in a duffle bag. Last but not least, she packed her shoes and toiletries in one last bag. She went over her list numerous times in the middle of the night, hoping she wouldn’t forget anything. But then again, she hoped they would be able to ask for certain things if they forgot. 

“I think I’m all set,” Harlow exclaimed with a grin. Harlow grabbed two bags while Jenna grabbed the other two. They made their way out of her room and down the stairs where Blair waited for them. 

“Are you ready?” Blair asked with a mischievous smile. 

Harlow looked around at all her packed suitcases, taking one deep breath in the process. She turned to her best friend and gave her a nod, “I’m ready.”

The three women piled into Blair’s silver Jeep and headed to the airport. Luckily one of them had a vehicle big enough to fit all the suitcases. 

It was quiet in the car as Blair drove; Jenna in the front and Harlow in the back. The closer they got to the airport, the more nervous Harlow got. 

“I can’t do this guys, take me back home,” Harlow quipped with a soft voice; her nerves getting the better of her. 

Jenna turned around from the front seat, giving a tight smile to Harlow. “You’ve got this hun. It’s just nerves because you’ve never done something like this, and it’s out of your comfort zone. Trust me when I say this Low, you will be fine. Think of it as a once in a lifetime opportunity. You could very well meet Mr. Right.” 

Jenna’s words made Harlow relax back into the seat. She looked out the window as buildings and trees zipped passed her. Harlow’s mind began to wonder and she tried to push all worries aside. She would miss her best friends, no doubt, but maybe this would be good for her. It wasn’t that she refused to socialize, it’s just that she loved her two friends and it was hard for her to make new friends. She was always the quiet and shy one, never really opening up as it seemed hard for her to do so. Because of that, she was worried that whoever she was vying for love, would not want her or eliminate her first. 

Harlow had a hard childhood growing up. Her parents were always fighting, to the point where it turned violent. Many nights were spent crying and hiding while her parents fought; her father sometimes hitting and slapping her mother. For years that went on, until her mother finally got the courage to leave her father. Once her mother made a life for the two of them, her mother ended up getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. By the time Harlow turned 20, both of her parents were dead. Her mother from an accidental drug overdose, and her father from suicide. 

“We’re here,” Blair’s voice brought Harlow back to the present; her heartbeat racing in her chest as she realized they were now at the airport. 

“I think I see where you are supposed to go,” Jenna remarked with a giddy smile, clapping her hands together as Harlow and Blair both shook their heads at her. Harlow looked out the window and sure enough, there was a man in a black suit holding a sign that said her name on it.

The three of them piled out of the car and each grabbed onto the luggage, hauling it over to the man holding the sign. 

“Umm, hi, I’m Harlow,” she voiced quietly, giving the man a slight smile. 

He smiled back at her, nodding his head. “Are these your bags?” he asked. Harlow nodded her head, pointing to the numerous bags her and her friends were lugging. The man quickly began to grab the bags and put them into a black SUV as the three girls said their goodbyes. 

“I’m going to miss you guys so much,” Harlow spoke, chin quivering. 

“Oh don’t cry sweetie. We’ll see you soon enough,” Blair chuckled while giving Harlow a big hug, kissing her head. Even though Blair seemed intimidating to look at, she had the biggest heart. 

“And I think I read somewhere that you can still contact people, you just can’t spill any details,” Jenna chimed in as she squeezed her arms around Harlow. “Just be yourself Low, whoever it is will end up falling in love with you, I know it.” 

Once the women said their final goodbyes, Harlow hopped in the backseat of the SUV. “I’m Jeramiah by the way. It will be about a two hour drive to our destination.”

Jeramiah seemed nice enough; the two of them making small chit chat to their destination. As Harlow noticed they crossed the border into New York, yet again her nerves were   
starting to get the best of her. 

As they continued their journey, all Harlow could see was trees and forests. A smile graced her lips as she felt most content within nature. It was her favorite aspect to paint and draw; forests, trees, moss and animals. She used to love sitting in the large tree in her front house as a child, talking to squirrels and chipmunks. They were also her best sellers when she painted them. There was such a calming aspect to being around nature and Harlow loved it. 

“We’re here,” Jeramiah said from the front seat of the vehicle as Harlow’s eyes grew wide at what she saw in front of her. 

It was the largest house she had ever seen, surrounded by lush greenery and trees. She smiled, feeling a sense of calmness rush through her body at the sight before her. “Wow,” she gasped as Jeramiah pulled up to the front of the house. The house itself looked brand new as she peered around at her surroundings. 

The vehicle stopped and before she knew it, Jeramiah was at her door opening it. She gave him a large grin as she stepped out of the SUV. “I’ll grab your bags if you want to head on it,” he said while giving her a nod towards the front door. 

Taking a one last deep breath, she pushed open the door and into the enormous house. All she heard was talking and giggles as she made her way through what looked like the living room. She followed the voices and ended up finding about 11 other women standing around the kitchen island, drinking champagne. 

Before she could even introduce herself, another man in a black suit cleared his throat, getting their attention. 

“Now that you are all here, would you please follow me into the living room,” he said, his arm extended towards the way Harlow had just come from. A few of the women noticed her and gave her smiles as they all made their way into the other room. “My name is Happy Hogan and before we continue anything, I will need you all to sign these.”

He began to hand out paper and pens to all the women in the room. Once Harlow got hers, she began to read it over, realizing it was a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Some of the women began to talk quietly among themselves but Harlow just sat down on one of the large couches and read through it. It was pretty basic, detailing that they weren’t to speak about what was going on about anything within the house to the media or to friends. But if the person won, then she and the man she was vying for love with agreed, they could then talk about it with family and friends; but to still keep it completely out of any and all media. 

Harlow deemed it reasonable and she signed her name at the bottom of the page, handing it back to the man named Happy. Once he had all 12 copies in his hand, he nodded his head and made his way up the grand staircase. 

Harlow looked around the room, taking in the beautiful decorations before she heard gasps from the other women. Turning her head, she saw non other than Tony Stark himself walking into the living room. 

“Good evening ladies, I hope you had a safe drive or flight here,” he said taking in the room with expanded arms. “No I’m not the one you will be vying your affection for, sorry to break your hearts right there. But trust me, you will meet them soon.” ‘Them’ Harlow thought to herself in confusion. “Now, if you will all follow me, I will show you to your rooms and once that is said and done, I will go over all the details of this little idea I had concocted up.”

All twelve women followed Tony up the stairs. At the top, he stopped and turned to face them all. “There are two bedrooms for all of you. Six will be in one room while the other six will be in another. We have already separated out with who will stay in what room. Harlow, Olivia, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Aria and Penelope, you will be in this room over here,” Tony gestured with his hand the direction of the room. “And Destiny, Chloe, Hanna, Aurora, Willow and Alexa will be over here. I’ll let you guys get pick your beds and then in, oh lets say five minutes, we will meet back downstairs.”

The gaggle of laughter couldn’t be ignored as the other group of six women, those who wouldn’t be sharing a room with Harlow, filled the air. It was all high pitched squeals of laughter and giggles that hurt her ear drums. 

Harlow gave a sheepish shy smile to her five roommates before making her way into her new room for the time being. To say it was large would be an understatement. There were six beds total, two bunk beds and two single beds; all were twin size. There were many dressers and nightstands lining the walls to make ample space for clothing.

The room was decorated in reds, whites and blues and felt very patriotic. The walls were white while the bedding was all navy blue with red pillowcases. It wasn’t something Harlow would use to decorate her room, but it was nice and simple all the same. Looking around she decided to choose one of the bottom bunk beds, making her feel like a child   
again. She would be able to possibly put a blanket or sheet over the side and make it her own little capsule of privacy. 

“Wow,” came a surprised gasp. Harlow turned to see one of the girls standing in front of an open closet. “This is larger than my entire apartment!” Harlow couldn’t help but let out a small giggle as she made her way over to the space. The girl wasn’t kidding, the closet was monstrously huge. With Harlow’s clothes alone she wouldn’t even be able to   
take up a tenth of the closet space. 

Yet again there was noisy laughter and screeches coming from down the hall. “I don’t know if I can put up with that,” Harlow joked, shaking her head. The girl who was standing in the closet let out a soft laugh. 

“I’m Charlotte by the way,” she said, making her way over to Harlow and shaking her head. Charlotte had beautiful auburn hair that went down to the middle of her back; her eyes a pretty green. She also had some freckles lining her nose and rosy cheeks. 

“I’m Harlow. It’s nice to meet you,” Harlow replied with a smile. Turning back to look at the rest of her roommates, she couldn’t help but notice how different they were compared to the girls in the other room. Her roommates seemed more quiet and reserved compared to the near constant noise coming from across the hall. 

“I guess we should probably head back downstairs huh,” Charlotte remarked. Harlow gave a nod and followed her out the closet and down the stairs. 

Harlow took a seat on the couch as Charlotte sat down next to her. Within a few minutes the rest of the women of the house came down to join them. The women from Harlow’s room were quiet while the women from the other room were talking loudly amongst themselves. As Harlow looked over at them, she also could tell they all looked much different from her new roommates. Four out of the six of them looked like they were related to the Kardashian’s with large breasts and butts; all easily noticeable by the tight dresses they were wearing. The other two looked like they came straight from a runway; tall and all legs. 

As she looked down at herself, she was now beginning to feel self-conscious a bit. She never had a problem with her body, even though she was average in size. She never felt fat, but now that she was in a room with these women, and the fact that she was wearing skinny jeans, combat style boots and a plain black t-shirt, she was feeling timid and unsure of herself. 

Tony Stark came waltzing into the room, rubbing his hands back and forth as he looked around. “Alright ladies first things first. I need you to hand over your cell phones.” There   
were groans coming from most of the women when Tony said that. “I’m not taking them for good. I’m just going to put software into it so you won’t be able to access any social media whatsoever. It will also disable phone calls and texting to everyone except the person who’s affection you are vying for. I promise you, I won’t see anything personal. We just need to make sure that nobody tries to get around the NDA.” 

Just then, Happy came around with a basket as everyone began to place their phones into it. Harlow gave Happy a shy smile as she gently placed her phone into it. 

“Next, you might have heard me say the word ‘them’ earlier. That is because, there is not one but TWO men in this house. BUT, you will only be vying for the love of one of them. The ladies you are rooming with will be the ones you are competing against. I will not be ‘hosting’,” Tony put quotation marks during the word,” this little challenge, but I will be popping up every once and awhile to check on things. There will be challenges to score individual dates with your guy, and there will also be group dates too. A day or two after the challenges there will be an elimination. It may be one girl from each side eliminated, or it might just be one girl eliminated. Either way, there will be at least one women leaving during an elimination. Once you are eliminated, you are to pack your bags and then the software will be eliminated from your phone. But don’t forget, you still must adhere to the NDA no matter what. If you didn’t read the small print that had the consequences….well…that’s not really my problem.” Harlow snickered when he said that, because she certainly read the consequences and she will be keeping her mouth shut for sure. 

“Down this small hallway there is a doorway and that doorway leads to the media room. There, you will be able to skype your family and friends and talk to them. But remember the NDA. Don’t say anything about what is going on here, including about each other. No names or anything personal about each other. Got it?” The women all nodded their heads. “Alright. Without further ado, let’s bring them out shall we?” Tony smiled widely at the women as they all stood up, waiting on bated breath to see just exactly who the men were going to be. He made his way to the bottom of the stairs before calling out to them. “Gentlemen, your ladies await!” 

Harlow placed her gaze on the floor, taking deep breaths as she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her hands were clasped together behind her back as she nervously chewed on her lower lip. She could hear the footsteps getting closer; her heart hammering in her chest. 

She glanced up just as the two men rounded the corner into the living room. There were gasps from everyone in the room, including her. 

“Ladies I’d like you to meet Captain Steve Rogers, and Sergeant James Barnes.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated. Please enjoy!

Steve looked at himself in the mirror of his new bedroom. His hands were jittery as he took in his appearance. He was wearing a pair of khakis with a dark blue button down dress shirt. His dark blonde hair was swept back and out of his face. 

He was nervous as hell and that was putting it mildly. Each day that grew closer and closer to this day, he was doubting if he could do this. All he used to want was to find a woman to love, get married and have a family together. After he came out of being frozen and learning Peggy had married and had her own children, he didn’t think he would ever be able to find love again. Naturally Bucky had helped as much as he could, but Steve just couldn’t find the right women. When he did find women he liked, he soon realized that they just couldn’t handle him being gone on missions, or they became too clingy and only wanted him because of who he was.

There was a knock on his door, the one he shared with Bucky and Steve turned around to see him standing in the doorway. 

“Nervous punk?” Bucky joked as he made his way into Steve’s room. 

“Shut up jerk,” Steve retorted back as he shook his head at his best friend. The two of them stood facing the mirror together. Bucky was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a dark grey button down shirt. His brown hair brushed and tucked behind his ears. “I don’t know if I can do this Buck.”

Bucky placed his right hand on Steve’s shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze. “I know you’re nervous about this. Hell, I’m a little nervous myself. But I’m here for ya pal. Always was and always will be.”

Steve smiled at his best friend, his heart full at having someone so near and dear to his heart with him and to spend this journey with him as well. Steve knew he couldn’t do it   
without Bucky by his side. 

“Gentlemen, your ladies await!” They both heard Tony say from downstairs. 

“I’m with ya till the end of the line,” Bucky said while giving Steve a pat on the back as the two of them began to walk out of Steve’s room and into the upstairs hallway. 

Steve took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before the two men began to descend the stairs. Steve knew deep down, this was what he wanted; to find a woman and enjoy life with. He may not have wanted to go about it this way, but he trusted Tony with all of his technology to find the right women for them. 

His feet hit the wooden floor, giving Bucky one last smirk. The men walked side by side with confidence and into the living room. 

Standing before him was twelve gorgeous women and Tony. Tony had a huge grin on his face as he watched Steve look around at the women in front of him. Steve felt Bucky give him a playful nudge. 

Steve could tell easily which six women were for him, and which six women were for Bucky. Bucky always went for the overly beautiful women, getting to know their personality came in second. But Steve was different; he didn’t go for looks. He wanted someone he could connect with on an emotional and mental level; always knowing that that was the most important for him first. 

As his eyes scanned the room, Steve’s gaze fell on one woman in particular and not because she was the only one wearing jeans. She had long wavy brown hair that shone beautifully, but it was her gorgeous hazel eyes that took Steve’s breath away. 

~~~

Harlow didn’t know what to feel when she saw the two super soldiers enter the living room. While she knew most of the other women were elated, Harlow was somewhat confused; shocked even. Why would these two extremely attractive men need help finding women? She would have thought that women throw themselves at these guys.   
She wasn’t disappointed in the least bit however. Harlow remembered reading about both Steve and James in her history classes throughout high school. In fact, she was very fond of both of them and their heroics. Without a doubt, Steve was one of the greatest heroes during the evil that was war. 

Harlow could feel a pair of eyes looking at her and she looked up from the floor, making eye contact with Captain Rogers himself. Her breath hitched in her throat at the mere sight of his breathtaking blue eyes. Her mouth became dry and she felt lightheaded as Steve gave her a small smirk. She began to feel her face flush from his gaze and as Steve realized she was peering back at him, his cheeks turned pink in return. 

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that, especially based on the bedroom in which you are staying, you know exactly which man you are here for,” Tony said, snapping Harlow out of her haze. “There is champagne in the kitchen. Tonight you all can hang around, get to know each other, jump in the pool and the hot tub. Whatever your heart’s desire. And with that, I will leave you all too it.” Tony gave a salute and headed out the front door with Happy. 

Harlow was uncertain as to what to do; frozen in place as the other women, Steve and Bucky all headed into the kitchen. 

“Hey, you alright?” Charlotte asked with furrowed brows. 

Harlow cleared her throat, shaking her head. “Yeah, no I’m fine. I just-I just wasn’t expecting it to be Steve fricken Rogers is all,” Harlow let out a soft chuckle. 

Charlotte wrapped an arm around Harlow’s shoulders. “Trust me, I think I stopped breathing when I saw him standing there. God is he gorgeous or what?” Both girls laughed before falling in with the rest of the crowd and making their way into the kitchen. 

~~~

Steve and Bucky made their way outside, getting some fresh air as the women toasted with their champagne drinks. They both looked through the large windows, admiring the women before being bombarded by them. 

“So what do you think pal?” Bucky asked Steve, giving him a playful shove. 

“It’s ah-a bit overwhelming,” Steve chortled, his hands in his front pockets as he stared out in the green forest in front of him. It was dusk, his favorite time of the day as the sky was painted with hues of purples, pinks and oranges. 

Bucky kept his smile as he continued to watch the women inside. “I don’t know about you, but my girls in there are so sexy.”

Steve snickered at his friend, shaking his head. He was nervous about this whole situation, especially because he liked to be the one to go up to women and start a conversation; he liked to take control that way. But he knew he wasn’t really supposed to in this situation. The women were the ones who were supposed to come to them to get to know them; that was what he was told from Tony. It wasn’t that Steve couldn’t take any initiative to speak to the girls, Tony just said they should let the girls take the lead for the first night at least. 

It didn’t take long until the patio door opened and Steve heard the giggles and talks of the women begin. Immediately, Bucky’s girls began to swarm him. One of the women pulled him off to the side and onto one of the outside couches as he watched the two sit down; an enormous grin on his friends face the entire time. 

“Hi,” a voice had Steve looking away from his friend. There was a very pretty woman standing in front of him. She was, naturally, shorter than Steve and her brown hair was pulled up into a loose bun on the top of her head. She wore a simple black dress that hugged her body nicely, but not too tight, and it ended just above her knees. “I’m Olivia.”

Steve didn’t know whether to shake her hand, or give her a hug, so he just smiled widely back to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Olivia. I’m Steve.” Luckily for Steve, Olivia decided what she wanted and that was a quick hug. She wrapped her arm around his torso, giving him a side hug. 

“Should we go chat?” Olivia asked, motioning her head to another section of couches near the pool. 

~~~

Harlow watched from the kitchen as she slowly sipped her glass of champagne. She knew she needed to drink a little bit more to have the liquid courage to even talk to Steve at this moment. Harlow was getting frustrated, not with herself, but with her friends right now. She knew it would be difficult for her to be outgoing in this type of situation, but she didn’t realize how rough it would really be, until now. She was always the shy one, waiting for guys to approach her. And now all that was out the window and she had to be the one to approach Steve to get to know him. The worst part about it all? If she didn’t get the courage to do so, she could easily be eliminated first because of it. 

As she continued to look out into the backyard, she had already witnessed two girls talking to Steve. Letting out a sigh of annoyance, she downed her drink before filling up another glass and headed out into the backyard. 

Dusk had officially ended and it was now dark outside, but the lights illuminated the entire backyard and it was truly beautiful. The landscaping itself made Harlow want to run upstairs, get her sketchbook, and begin to draw. But that wasn’t what she was here for. She was here for love, for Steve. 

Harlow saw a woman with curly black hair sitting with Steve on a couch. She decided it was now or never. As she began walking towards them, she felt her heart rate begin to race inside of her; thumping wildly. 

“Let’s all go in the hot tub!” the woman sitting with Steve shouted and before she knew it, all the girls were cheering and rushing back into the house. 

Charlotte grabbed Harlow by the arm and excitedly jogged into the house. ‘There goes that idea’ Harlow thought to herself as she trailed behind Charlotte up the stairs and to their room. 

Inside the room, Harlow saw that their entire luggage was now placed on the beds in which they had chosen to sleep in. The other women were already changing into their swim suits by the time Harlow found her suits in her luggage. 

She dug through all her suits and decided on one of the newer ones she had bought. It was a two piece, but the bottoms were very high wasted, kind of like back in the 1950’s. The top was a thick white halter, which held in her girls tightly, while the bottoms were cherry red. 

“Are you ready?” Charlotte called out into the bathroom while Harlow changed. 

“Just about. You go on down and I’ll catch up,” Harlow replied as she tied the ties behind her head. Once she was fully dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror. By now she was grateful that Jenna took her to get a bikini wax just last week; it definitely came in handy. 

Harlow exited the expanse bathroom and made her way down the long set of curved stairs; her arms hugging her body at the chill from the air conditioned house. 

Once outside she saw that the hot tub was already filled to the brim with people; some of the women even having to stand on the outside and leaning in to get in the conversation. This was not what Harlow was expecting. She was hoping to get a seat next to Steve so she could talk to him a little bit. 

With a slight groan, she looked over at the pool and realized nobody was swimming. Growing up, Harlow loved the water; her mother even calling her a mermaid at one point. Deciding not to let it go to waste, she headed over to the pool and slowly began to descend into the warm water. 

Harlow loved the warm water over her chilled pale skin as she began to swim around gracefully. She dove under, opening her eyes as she swam along the bottom of the pool. Once she got to the other end she began to swim upwards until she breached the water, taking a deep breath. This pool was one of the deepest underground pools she had ever been in. Most underground pools, at the deepest, ranged from six feet to ten feet. But not this pool. It must have been at least fifteen feet; her ears even popped at the bottom.   
She held on to the side of the pool as her legs kicked back and forth. Harlow looked over at the hot tub and noticed that some of the girls were getting out of the hot tub; and so was Steve. She tried to calm her breathing as she saw him standing there, dripping wet in nothing but a pair of navy blue board shorts. His chest was on full display and Harlow didn’t realize her jaw became slack just looking at him. He looked like a damn Grecian god; his body was absolutely perfect. 

There was a large splash from behind her and she turned to see a handful of women resurfacing from jumping into the pool. She let out a laugh as they all began to splash each other while some of them were doing hand stands. 

Harlow noticed Steve begin descending down the steps and into the pool. The same girl she saw sitting with him on the couch latched onto his shoulders from behind and   
wrapped her legs around him. She saw Steve grip the front of her legs, holding her close to him as he smiled widely. A pang of jealousy shot through her body, which confused her to no end. She hadn’t even talked to Steve yet; there is no way she should be jealous of another girl, quite literally, hanging onto him. 

She pushed those thoughts away as she noticed a table that held more champagne and some fruit. Swimming over to the ladder, she got out of the pool and headed towards the table, meeting Charlotte there as well. 

“How are you doing?” Charlotte asked while nibbling on a piece of watermelon. 

Harlow shrugged as she took a sip of champagne. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this Charlotte.”

“Hey, don’t give up so easily.”

Harlow sighed, shaking her head. “I’m just too dang shy. And every time I get up the courage to go talk to him, someone else seems to already have his attention.” Harlow looked down to the floor, watching the water from her feet spread on the concrete. “Have you talked to him yet?”

Charlotte looked over to see Steve swimming around the pool. “I did actually. In the hot tub. He’s really sweet Harlow. Don’t blow your chance here. Some of these girls in our group, I honestly don’t think they are right for him. They just don’t seem to fit the personality to someone he would be interested in, especially that Aria girl. But you and I, to be quite frank, I see us going all the way to the end.”

Harlow’s brows rose at Charlottes confession; Charlotte nodding her head back to her. There was something about Charlotte that made Harlow trust her immediately. She was the only one to reach out and talk to Harlow so far and there seemed to be some sort of special bond between the two. 

“Look, he’s getting out of the pool right now. Down your drink real quick and head over there before someone else gets to him first,” Charlotte whispered. 

Harlow did just that; she downed the last of her drink in one big gulp and set the glass down. She then zeroed in on Steve and began to walk towards him. As she got closer to him, she couldn’t help but begin to walk a bit faster, just wanting to get this first time meeting and awkwardness over with. But she was walking too quick and she ended up   
stumbling over her own feet. Her eyes clenched shut as she braced for the hard impact of the concrete; but it never came. 

Instead she felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around her torso holding her up. She let out the breath she was holding and opened her eyes. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she felt her cheeks begin to pulsate with heat and embarrassment. 

“Well that was embarrassing,” she softly said as she got lost gazing into his ocean blue eyes. 

Steve responded with a slight chuckle, his head shaking back and forth. “Don’t be embarrassed.” Shit, even his voice sounded like a god! 

“I’m-I’m Harlow, but my friends back home call me Low,” Harlow replied sheepishly, her voice quiet and soft. 

“It’s very nice to meet you Harlow. I’m Steve. And I have to say that your name is very unique. I really like it.”

Ok, that got Harlow to blush even more as she cast her eyes down to the ground for a moment. When she looked back up at Steve, she smiled back at him. “Thanks,” Harlow replied with a slight shrug. “It actually is an old English name which means ‘army’.”

“That’s very fitting for someone like me,” Steve answered back. 

‘Holy crap, is Steve flirting with me?’ Harlow said the only thing that she could think of in that moment. “Well I guess you and I fit well together based on our choices in swim suits.” She could not believe she was flirting back already. Harlow just wanted a quick talk with Steve, to see if they were even compatible, yet here they were, sharing flirting banter back and forth. 

Steve’s cheeks turned pink at Harlow’s words as he quickly snuck a peek at her swim suit. “All that’s missing is the stars and stripes,” he replied with a wink. 

“Steve,” Bucky’s voice broke through their flirtation, causing the two of them to look over at him. Bucky motioned for him to come over and Harlow wasn’t ready to stop talking to Steve yet. Steve looked down, noticing his hands were still at Harlow’s waist and he quickly took them off, clearing his throat. 

“I should probably head over there and see what he wants,” he said, his hand going to the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, alright. I guess I’ll see you around?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

~~~

“Are you ready for our first elimination?” Bucky asked Steve as the two toweled themselves off from the water. 

“Wait what? That’s tonight already? But it’s the first night!”

“I know punk,” Bucky sighed. “But that’s one of the things Stark said. We each had to eliminate one girl tonight based off of first impressions alone. I’ll go ahead and make the announcement.” The two of them walked to the edge of the pool, gathering everyone’s attention. “Unfortunately I have some bad news. There will be an elimination tonight.   
Upstairs you will find your cell phones on your bed. Programmed inside will be either Steve’s phone number, or mine. We will call you down either one at a time, two at a time, or in groups of more than that. That is how elimination will occur from here on out. Why don’t you all head upstairs and get ready. Keep an eye out for our text message.”

Steve thought it was kind of weird to be texting them to come down for an elimination, but then again, he still found a lot of things weird about this time. There was a mixture of scared groans coming from the women as he and Bucky headed back inside the house and up the stairs to their rooms. 

Once inside his own room, Steve headed into the bathroom, needing to take a shower and get the chlorine off his body. 

As he stood under the hot shower, he battled in his mind with what to do. This was the one part he feared most about this dating challenge; the elimination. He didn’t have it in his heart to just send a woman home based off whether they hit it off well or not. But he knew what he signed up for and he was here to find love at last. 

~~~

Harlow waited her turn until the shower was free. Luckily the shower was placed behind another door within the bathroom so there was ample privacy; especially because all the other women were getting ready in the bathroom in front of the mirrors together. 

As she showered, she didn’t know what to think about this elimination. Sure she had a few moments to talk to Steve, even flirting a little bit. But maybe she came off a bit too strong? Harlow was never like that when meeting a guy for the first time. It was usually easy chit chat, nothing deep or serious for the first few dates. Yet at the same time, she was vying for his love out of five other women. 

She placed a large towel around her body and began to blow dry her hair. More thoughts came to her mind about tonight. Steve easily could have instantly connected with any of the other girls. Nevertheless, Charlotte’s words rang through her head. She could tell that Charlotte had a good sense of character right off the bat and maybe she was right. Perhaps Harlow was exactly what Steve wanted; yet again, maybe she wasn’t. 

Harlow decided not to dwell on it too much as she finished her hair. She was never much of a makeup person but thought that a little bit might go a long way tonight. She did her best at a light smoky eye and put on some mascara, finishing it up with a deep red lipstick. If any makeup was involved with her daily routine, it was lipstick that she learned to master. She loved that she was able to find the best lipstick that wouldn’t budge or stain; however it did make it difficult to wash off. 

Looking through her dresses she decided on a simple black dress. The top was tight with short sleeves and a lace overlay. It cinched at her waist and hung loosely down to the tips of her knees. Pairing her dress with some red pumps, she took one final look in the mirror; deeming herself presentable for the elimination. 

She went and sat with Charlotte on her bed, clutching her phone as she waited for the text. Harlow and Charlotte made small talk, trying to ease the nerves and tension and to pass the time. It was when Aria let out a small squeal did she realize it was starting. 

“Alright ladies, wish me luck,” she said as she sauntered into the hallway and out of sight. Out of all the women that were here for Steve, Aria seemed like the one that didn’t fit at all. From her looks alone, she looked like she would belong across the hall with Bucky’s women. Harlow didn’t want to judge, so maybe it was her personality that really stood out on the application. 

A few minutes had passed before Aria came back into the room. “I’m safe! I’m here to stay girls!” There was something about her voice that seemed off, like she was trying too hard and that set Harlow on edge. She didn’t like fake people, especially when it came to being around guys. What was the point of being fake because sooner or later, the guy will find out and realize you weren’t who he thought you were. 

Charlotte’s phone buzzed next, along with two other girls whom Harlow now knew were named Olivia and Elizabeth. “Good luck,” Harlow whispered to her new friend, giving her an encouraging smile. 

Harlow sat on Charlotte’s bed, fiddling with her phone as she waited. She saw that all of her social media apps had been disabled for the time being, along with all her contacts except one; Steve. She gave a small smile, having a feeling that Steve didn’t like the whole texting thing to call the women down for elimination. He probably has a really tough time adjusting to technology. 

Time seemed to slow down as she waited for her friend to come back. Harlow thought about Blair and Jenna, wondering what they would be doing right about now. They were probably pigging out on junk food watching the newest Bachelor; Harlow scoffed at the thought. She was never into shows like that, but now she knew why they pushed her to do something like this. 

She saw Charlotte walking up the stairs along with Olivia and Elizabeth. “We all made it through,” Charlotte said as she sat back down next to Harlow. 

Harlow gave Penelope, the last girl in the room a tight smile. It meant that one of them would be going home tonight. 

Her heart jumped in her chest as her phone vibrated in her hand. Looking up, she saw Penelope too get up from her spot on her bed. The two of them made their way downstairs   
and into the living room; Harlow’s breath catching once again at the sight of Steve. 

~~~

Steve stood next to Bucky waiting for the last two ladies to come down. Bucky had already eliminated one of his women. Her name was Alexa and Bucky just didn’t feel they hit it off well compared to the other five girls. 

It was now Steve’s turn to eliminate one of the last two of his women and he was dreading it. Even though he only met these women a few hours ago, it still didn’t sit well in his mind to do this. But Tony assured him he was almost positive that he would find his true love by doing this. 

Tony and Steve had been through so much over the last handful of years that at this point, he couldn’t not trust Tony’s advice. 

The sound of heels snapped Steve back to the present as he clasped his hands together in front of him; waiting for the two women. He felt Bucky place a hand on his shoulder, giving him a squeeze and letting him know he was there for him. 

Both Harlow and Penelope now stood in front of them, worry etched on their faces. “I wanted to introduce myself because we haven’t met yet. I’m Bucky, this punks best friend.” His words lightened the mood causing the girls to let out a light laugh. 

“I’m Penelope,” she said shaking Bucky’s hand. 

“I’m Harlow. It’s nice to meet you,” Harlow said gracefully with a smile on her face, taking Bucky’s hand in hers. 

“I just wanted to say that this is extremely out of Steve’s comfort zone,” Bucky began to say. “The only reason that either of us is even doing this, is because we have each other to lean on during this whole thing Tony came up with. I wouldn’t have even agreed if Steve decided not to do this and I know he feels the same way. So I’m going to shut up now   
and let Steve take over.”

Steve unclasped his hands, scratching his neck with his right hand as he looked between the two women in front of him. “This is the part that I have dreaded most, without a doubt,” Steve began to say. Harlow could tell just how nervous he was. “Tonight I had the pleasure of talking with both of you.” His eyes glanced back and forth between Harlow and Penelope. “But one of you really captured my attention.” Steve took a deep breath before speaking again. “Penelope…..I’m sorry but you aren’t the girl for me.” 

~~~

Harlow let out the breath she was holding, casting her gaze down at the floor. She felt bad for Penelope even though she didn’t get a chance to talk to her at all. But she had to   
remember that she was here for love, for Steve, and that all the other women were her competition. 

She saw Penelope give a slight wave to Steve before leaving the living and heading up the stairs to pack her belongings. Turning her head, she locked eyes with Steve. 

“Harlow, I have to say I was actually pretty excited that you ended up tripping in front of me. It finally helped us get a chance to talk.” Harlow’s cheeks flushed at the thought. “Since the moment I saw you, I admit that I have been rather intrigued by you. Would you like to stay here and have a chance at love with me?”

Harlow’s smile spread wide, nodding her head. “I would love to Steve.” She stepped forward and into Steve’s open arms, wrapping her arms around his torso. She had to be   
truthful and saying that Steve gave such great warm hugs. She felt safe in his arms instantly. 

Too soon he pulled away, giving her a smile and she nodded at Bucky before walking to the stairs and up to her new room. 

Harlow saw Penelope packing as tears streamed down her face. Her heart hurt for the woman in front of her, but she had to be strong for herself. This was what she wanted, and she wasn’t going to back down without a fight. She wanted to find love, and she had a good feeling that Steve very well could be her Mr. Right.


	4. Chapter 4

Harlow always had a difficult time sleeping, especially if she was in a new environment. And this was a pretty weird and new environment to say the least. 

After the elimination the night before, Harlow made her way back up to the bedroom and shared a hug with Charlotte; happy to still be in the running for the affection of Steve.   
All the girls had gotten ready for bed and Harlow changed into her oversized sweatshirt and a pair of black sleep pants. They must have had the air conditioning turned down real low because it was freezing as she laid in bed that night. 

With the blankets and pillows surrounding her, she tried to shut her brain off for the night but it just wasn’t working. Usually, back home when she couldn’t sleep, she would just turn on the lights and suddenly get inspired to start drawing or painting. But it was a bit difficult to do that in her current situation seeing as she had four other roommates.   
Nevertheless she was glad that she was able to bring along her painting and drawing supplies as the contract stated they could bring something along for a hobby. 

Harlow found herself drifting to sleep around one in the morning, but by five, she was wide awake. She groaned quietly as she tossed and turned lightly as to not wake the girl above her up. She still didn’t know much about her roommates, other than Charlotte of course, and what the other’s names were. Then there was Aria, the girl with long curly black hair who seemed to hang onto Steve at every chance she got. She was also the one that Charlotte said just didn’t seem to fit in with Steve. 

Harlow gave up on sleep and silently exited her bed and began to look for her drawing supplies. Once she found them she slipped on her slippers and made her way down stairs to make a cup of coffee. She normally didn’t drink too much coffee, but her body felt drained from all the excitement yesterday that she needed a little something to perk up.   
She poured herself a mug of plain black coffee, grabbed her sketchpad and a few of her favorite pencils and made her way outside to the backyard. Sitting down on one of the lounge couches facing the forest, she began to draw; getting lost in the beauty of nature. 

~~~

By 4:30 in the morning Steve and Bucky were already up and hitting the trails in the forest. 

“Are you excited about the first challenge today?” Bucky asked as the two ran side by side. 

“Depends on which challenge it is. I already forgot,” Steve chuckled back to his friend. 

Bucky let out his own laugh, shaking his head. “It’s the trivia one. The team with the most answers correct get a group date out on the town.” Steve nodded, remembering now that this was one of the challenges. He kept quiet as he continued running next to Bucky. “What’s on your mind pal?”

Steve shrugged, knowing his friend would pick up on his mood. “I don’t know Buck. I just feel like crap after last night and sending Penelope home. I know it was the right move because I connected more with the other girls, but it just felt wrong. I knew we would be put in that situation, but now that I had to do it, it just seems more real. I mean what’s going to happen when it comes down to the final two girls. What happens if I have strong feelings for both of them and I make the wrong decision?”

Bucky could understand where his friend was coming from because he had the same thoughts too. There was a real good chance that both men could easily fall for more than one girl and it was a thought that was weighing heavily on both their minds. 

“I completely understand Steve, trust me. I’ve had those same thoughts too. But we can’t dwell on those thoughts as much as we want to. We just have to keep thinking about the end of it all. Because we very well could both fall in love when this is all over and that’s really what we want isn’t it?”

Bucky had a great point and Steve just had to keep reminding himself of the end. That he would hopefully find the girl of his dreams out of the five remaining girls. He had to stop thinking about the negatives and start thinking about the positives. He had to push himself out of his comfort zone and that’s exactly what he was bound to do. 

As they reached the end of the trail, they headed back to the house. It was a perfect morning as the sun began to rise in the horizon. Steve never used to like watching the sun come up only because many times he was stuck in the cold trenches during the war when it happened. Now he could really appreciate the beauty of it all. 

Once they made their way back to the house, Steve couldn’t help but see one of the girls sitting on one of the many outside lounge couches. As she came into view, he realized it was Harlow. A smile appeared on his face as his thoughts brought him back to the previous night. He still couldn’t believe that he had openly flirted with her right next to the pool. Steve had caught Harlow just in time before she landed on the hard concrete after she tripped. He had to admit, she felt nice in his arms. And then the two of them had some flirting banter back and forth before he had to get ready for the elimination ceremony. Steve wasn’t normally one to just flat out flirt, but there was something about Harlow that made him feel at ease. 

~~~

Harlow looked down at her sketchpad, admiring her work as she smiled. 

“Morning,” a gruff voice came from beside her, causing her to yelp in surprise. 

“Holy crapoli,” Harlow exclaimed, holding her hand over her heart. She glanced up to see Steve standing next to her. 

“I’m-I’m so sorry Harlow. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Harlow waved her hand back and forth, taking a few deep breaths. “No, no it’s fine Steve. I just wasn’t expecting anyone out here this early. What are you exactly doing up this early?”

“Bucky and I usually go for a run early in the morning,” Steve responded, never taking his eyes off of Harlow. 

Harlow then glanced at what he was wearing, needing to hold in yet another moan at the sight of him. He was wearing a tight light grey shirt with a pair of thin black sweatpants.   
His clothes definitely showed off his physique and she had a hard time determining if he looked more sexy now, or in his swim trunks. 

“Oh,” was all Harlow managed to say as she looking down at her lap, not wanting Steve to see her flushed face. 

“What do you have there?” She heard him ask. 

Normally Harlow didn’t show her work to anybody, even Blair or Jenna. The only work she shared was on her Etsy sight. She wouldn’t even share paintings that she commissioned, only to the buyer. It was kind of like a secret of hers that she shared dearly, but there was something about Steve that made her feel like he wouldn’t put her down for her work. 

Slowly, she turned the sketchpad over and handed it to Steve. “Wow,” he breathed out taking in the picture she had drawn with her pencil of the forest. “This is amazing Harlow.”  
Her heart fluttered in her chest at his praise; a feeling she had never felt before in her life. It was a different feeling never having experienced it before, and she wanted to feel it all over again.

“You really think so?” Harlow asked with a quirk of her brow. She didn’t know anything about Steve other than what she learned in History class and that he was now a part of the Avengers. 

He smiled at her, placing her sketchpad back down on the cushion beside her. “I really do. I’d love to see more of your drawing skills sometime.” Harlow’s cheeks flushed pink with both embarrassment and pride; she never knew how to take compliments well. “But for now I should probably head upstairs and get ready for the first challenge. I’ll see you around.”

Steve gave her a curt nod and turned around to head back inside the house. Harlow couldn’t help but cast her glance downwards and notice just how supple and round his butt was. “Damn,” Harlow cursed at the sight fading away from her. 

She sat on the lounge outside in the warm summer morning, enjoying the peace for just a minute longer; but she knew she too should get ready for this challenge. 

With a nervous heartbeat she got up from her spot and headed upstairs to take her morning shower. Harlow was happy to see the shower was free and took a nice long hot shower as nobody was trying to rush her at the moment. Her long brown hair hung wet down her back as she moaned quietly; her fingers threading through her scalp while she washed her hair. It was her favorite part of showering because it reminded her of getting her hair done at the salon. Naturally it didn’t feel as good though since she was doing it herself; but nonetheless, it was relaxing. 

Out of the shower she towel dried herself dry and put on her white bra and navy and white striped boy short underwear. She slipped on a pair of dark grey skinny jeans and a plain black tank top; unaware of exactly what kind of challenge they would be doing today.

Once she was finished with the shower and made her way into the bedroom she saw there was a chaotic mess going on. 

“We only have an hour to get ready!” she heard Aria cry out as she rushed passed Harlow and into the bathroom. Harlow shook her head at the sight before her and went to sit down on her bed. 

Harlow began to blow dry her hair as she watched her roommates run around the room, trying to get ready. At least that was one thing she didn’t have to worry about this morning; rushing to get ready for the first challenge. 

An hour later the girls met Steve and Bucky in the backyard. The two men looked smug as they stood there with their hands behind their backs. 

“Good morning ladies,” Steve said with a hint of a smile. “Today’s challenge will be trivia. The team with the most correct answers will get a group date.”

Harlow clenched her eyes shut, hating this challenge already. She was never good at trivia, especially all the movie and music trivia that Blair and Jenna would drag her to at the bars. 

“The trivia for this challenge will be based on both Steve and I,” Bucky chimed in, which got Harlow’s attention. “My girls will be answering questions about me, and same with Stevie and his girls.”

“Without further hesitation, let’s begin,” Steve remarked as he clasped his hands together. 

The two teams separated and into their own groups and awaited their questions. 

Harlow was nervous yet excited at the same time. She remembered a lot about what she learned in her History classes growing up and she was hopeful that her team would win; she really wanted to try to get to know Steve even better. 

Round after round, Steve and Bucky would ask questions to their girls, and it was a tight race overall. Harlow was actually pretty shocked how well the other team did. She knew she shouldn’t judge anyone by the way they looked, but it just didn’t seem like Bucky’s girls held a lot of knowledge. 

“Alright ladies,” Steve said, turning to face his girls. “If you answer this question right, you win the challenge. Since this question isn’t multiple choice, your answer can be within three years. How many years was I approximately frozen in ice?”

Immediately Harlow shouted out the first thing she could remember from History class. “70 years!”

Steve grinned at her. “That is correct Harlow. Which means my team wins.” Steve turned to Bucky, giving him a sly grin as Bucky slapped a hand on his shoulder. 

Harlow smiled victoriously as she felt her face begin to flush; her heart beating rapidly as Steve’s gaze fell upon her once again. But her smile soon faded as she saw Aria bound up to Steve and wrap her hands around his neck, kissing his cheek. 

She would never be that confident, at least not around all these beautiful women. It was one of her downsides, being so unbelievably shy with guys when there are others present.   
“Ladies go ahead and get ready. In three hours we will be heading out on our date to go bowling.”

~~~

“I can’t believe your team won,” Bucky huffed as him and Steve made their way to the third floor of the house where their bedrooms were at. 

Steve laughed, shaking his head. “To be honest, I didn’t think they would win. I didn’t know if they would get that last answer right, but Harlow surprised me.”  
Bucky looked over at Steve and saw him glancing at nothing in particular with a goofy smile on his face. “You really like her don’t you?”

Steve stared at Bucky, giving him a shrug. “I don’t know man. I mean I’ve only talked to her twice but both times I really enjoyed it. She just is really shy and quiet when she’s around other people it seems.”

He sat on his bed while Bucky came over to sit beside him. “I understand pal. Some girls are just like that. It takes them time to come out of their shell. But maybe on this group date since she won’t be around as many other people, she’ll come around.”

Steve gave Bucky a smile. “I hope so Buck.”

~~~

“I’m so excited we won the first challenge,” Charlotte exclaimed, sitting down on her bed that was across from Harlow’s. 

Harlow gave her a sly smile, nodding her head. “Me too,” Harlow replied. But in reality, she was a nervous train wreck. This would technically be her first date with Steve, even though it was a group date and she knew she had to start upping her game and talk to him more. However, it was a nice surprise to see him early this morning when they talked about her art. 

She wanted to open up to Steve, about everything. Her parents, her ex-boyfriend who was emotionally and physically abusive to her, but because of her past, she was a really guarded person. It took a long time for someone to break those walls down, and because she had a very limited time with Steve, she was unsure if she would be able to do so.   
With a now dip of her confidence, Harlow got up and began to search for something to wear; her mind racing with thoughts of if she could continue to go on like this. She knew about shows similar to what she was doing right now. If girls didn’t open up, they were usually eliminated. And while she felt comfortable around Steve this morning when he asked to see her sketch, she didn’t know if she could fully open up to him in this short amount of time. Her biggest fear is that she would catch serious feelings for him, only for him to eliminate her because of the wall she had built up around her. 

Looking through her clothes, she decided on a pair of black distressed skinny jeans, her combat boots, and a plain red t-shirt. She wanted to keep it casual since they were going bowling and didn’t want to be uncomfortable in a skirt or a dress; which she saw a few of the girls wearing. 

When she was done getting dressed, she grabbed her sketchbook and decided to head back outside to the lounge couches where she spent her time this morning. Propping herself up on the lounge, she opened her book to a blank page and began to sketch the only thing that was on her mind right now; Steve Rogers. 

Harlow continued to sketch, not even realizing the time until she saw Charlotte standing in front of her. 

“Harlow, are you ready?”

She glanced up from her sketch before checking her watch. “Shit,” she announced, getting up from her spot. “Yeah, let me just bring this upstairs and I’ll meet you in the living room.” 

Harlow dashed upstairs and put her sketchbook under her pillow before racing back downstairs and meeting up with the rest of the girls on her team. She saw Aria, wearing a short black skit and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Who the hell wears short skirts to go bowling??

Steve walked into the room and all the girls’ eyes lit up at the sight of him, including Harlow’s. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans with a light gray t-shirt, and man was he a sight for sore eyes. Harlow felt her mouth go dry at the sight of him. She couldn’t get over the fact of just how gorgeous of a man he truly was. 

“Are you ladies ready?” Steve said, his voice sounding like music to Harlow’s ears. 

The five women and Steve walked outside to see a limo waiting for them. They all took their seats inside as the driver began to drive. 

At first it was quiet, but of course Aria, who was sitting right next to Steve, began talking to him. Harlow sat the furthest away from him, not by choice though. She was the first to get into the limo, and Steve was the last. 

They had made their way to the bowling alley, only to find that they would be the only ones there. 

“Tony must have rented the place out for the day,” Steve said, shaking his head which made the girls giggle. 

One of the workers escorted them to the lanes they would be playing at and soon, everyone had their bowling balls and shoes. 

Since there were six of them total, everyone was vying to be on the lane that Steve would be on, and in the end, Harlow wasn’t one of them. She scolded herself for not fighting as   
hard as the other girls to be on his team, but that wasn’t the kind of person she was. 

Before long, the workers began to bring out food and drinks. The table was filled with nachos, mozzarella sticks, fries, wings and beer. It honestly looked like something that Harlow and her friends would be eating during a girls night at home. 

Harlow kept sneaking glances at Steve and almost every time she would see him glancing back at her. Her face would flush from embarrassment of getting caught, but at the same time, she liked to know that Steve was looking at her too. 

During their time bowling, Harlow saw all the other girls chatting with Steve, and she was the only one who hadn’t done so yet. She knew she had to make some sort of a move to get noticed, yet she didn’t want to do it when everyone else was around. 

“I’ll be right back,” Steve said as he got up. Harlow noticed he was making his way towards the bathroom and that this might be her shot. She saw that there was a claw machine he would have to walk by to come back to their lanes. 

She grabbed her purse and headed towards the machine. Looking around, she saw the others girls giggling and talking, not looking in her direction at all. Taking a dollar bill out of her purse, she placed it into the slot and lights came on. Grabbing the joystick, she looked at her options; smiling when she saw the Captain America stuffed bear.   
She moved the stick towards the right, and then pushed it forwards before stopping and pressing the button. The claw descended, then closed, just missing the head of the bear. 

“So close,” Steve whispered behind her, making Harlow yelp in surprise. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. It seems like I’ve been doing that a lot.”

Harlow shook her head, letting out a light laughter at his words. “No, it’s ok Steve. I was just concentrating pretty hard there.”

“Here, let me give it a try.”

Harlow moved out of his way as he grabbed his wallet and place a dollar bill in the slot. She saw his biceps nearly tear his shirt apart as he took his stance in front of the machine. Biting her lip, she suppressed the moan she wanted to release from the sight of him.

She watched as she saw the claw move right over the Captain America teddy bear, before the claw lowered down. Her eyes widened with happiness as the claw closed right around the head of the teddy bear, grasping it firmly. 

The claw dropped the teddy bear in the drop box as Steve bent down to retrieve it. She saw him smile at the little toy, which brought along her own smile. Steve handed the bear to her. “For you,” he said with a grin. 

Harlow happily took the bear from his hands, clutching it to her chest as she let out a deep breath. She would forever remember this moment. 

Glancing upwards, she now just noticed how tall he was compared to her; a good eight inches or so taller. He leaned against the machine, hands in his pockets. “Tell me about yourself,” he said with ease, never taking his eyes off her. 

Harlow couldn’t help but glance down at the teddy bear; her heart beat skyrocketing at his words. “What-what do you want to know?”

“How about your family? Your parents?”

Harlow’s chin began to quiver, immediately thinking about having to explain her parents to the man standing in front of her. She didn’t want to talk about them, but she knew she had to open up to Steve, or she could be sent packing, which is the last thing she wanted. She really liked being around him, she was just afraid to open up. 

“Hey,” Steve said, tilting her chin up with his fingers. “Harlow, I want you to know that I won’t judge you in any way. I just really want to get to know you.”

She took a deep breath, nodding her head as she willed her chin to stop quivering. “Umm, well-well I didn’t have too happy of a childhood,” Harlow began to say. “My parents fought a lot. Sometimes it got violent. But-but both of them are dead and I don’t have any other family right now.”

Before she even realized it, she felt Steve’s arms wrapped around her body. Letting out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, she relaxed in his arms. He smelt of forests and apples; her right arm maneuvering from between them and to his back, gripping his shirt. 

“It’s ok Harlow, I’m here for you,” Steve cooed, rubbing a hand up and down her back as she tried to hold her tears in. But it was too hard, she felt too safe in his arms and soon, she let the tears flow freely. 

It had been a long time since she talked about her parents; a long time since she mourned their deaths, even though they weren’t the greatest parents or role models in her life. 

As much as she didn’t want to, she pulled away from Steve, not wanting to draw attention to herself from the other girls. She looked up at Steve, and he gave her a sorrow smile. His hands came up to her face; his thumbs wiping away her tears. 

“I’m sorry,” Harlow apologized. “It’s a tough subject for me and-and I don’t like to be vulnerable.”

“You don’t have to apologize Harlow. And trust me when I say this, I like to see people vulnerable. I’ve had to deal with a lot of tough things during the war. And vulnerability goes a long ways in my books.”

Her heart soared at his words, even though she thought she ruined her chances with him right then and now.

~~~

After Steve and his ladies got home from their bowling date, he decided to head outside and get some fresh air. He had a lot to think about with the next elimination coming up. Luckily, elimination wouldn’t be until tomorrow, but he wanted to get a good head start and think about things. 

He had a great time bowling with his girls as he got to know them a little bit better. What surprised him the most was what Harlow did. There was no way she just decided to go to the claw machine at the exact moment he would be leaving the bathroom. She knew what she was doing and he was glad she did so; it got them talking for a little bit and while he wished they could have talked for longer, he was glad she opened up a bit more. 

It was Aria that saw the two of them talking and she came and pulled Steve back to bowling so she could sit next to him and flirt. In all honesty, Steve was a little upset by it, but he knew that this was a game for love and the girls needed to try and win him over. 

He couldn’t help but feel really connected with Harlow about her parents however. Sure, there was no violence in his household growing up, but he did lose both of his parents and he knew how that felt. He hoped one of these days, sooner rather than later, she would open up even more. 

Out of all of his girls that were left, each and every one of them have opened up and shown much interest in him, except for Harlow. He knew there was something there with her, that she must have felt something, but he also knew it would take a lot to get through to her. But he refused to give up. 

“Hello there,” a sultry voice sounded throughout the empty backyard causing Steve to turn around. He saw Chloe standing there in a very skimpy bikini. Chloe was one of Bucky’s girls; the one that Bucky told Steve he was really into. 

“Uh, hey Chloe. How are you?”

She shrugged her shoulders, setting her towel down on a chair as she sauntered her way over to where Steve was standing at the edge of the grass near the trees. “Not too bad.   
Although I have to say I kind of missed you while you were gone with your little group of girls today.”

Steve’s brows furrowed as she spoke. Why would she care if Steve was gone? She was here for Bucky after all. 

Steve cleared his throat before replying. “So did you get to spend some time with Bucky today?”

Chloe let out a chuckle, shaking her head as she came to stand right in front of Steve. She placed her arms around his neck, making Steve uncomfortable as he stiffened. “Silly Steve. I was thinking about you the whole day.”

“Ok that’s enough,” Steve said, gently taking her wrists in his hands and prying them off of his neck. He gave her a stern look before walking around her and heading into the house. 

He saw Harlow sitting on the couch in the living room, sketchpad in her lap. She looked up when she saw Steve, giving him a sweet smile, but at the moment Steve just couldn’t reciprocate it; he was too upset with what just happened. 

Steve marched up to the third story of the house, knocking on Bucky’s door. A few moments passed before Bucky opened the door, seeing a seething Steve.   
“You ok pal?” Bucky asked as he opened the door wider for Steve to enter. 

Steve walked in and began to pace back and forth, his hand scratching at his jaw. “No Buck, I’m not ok right now. Not in the least bit.”

“What happened? Did something happen on your date?”

Steve stopped his pacing, looking Bucky in the eyes. “Unfortunately it wasn’t one of my girls.” 

“What do you mean by that?”

“I was outside getting some fresh air when Chloe decided to put the moves on me.”

“What?!” Bucky exclaimed with surprise. 

“Yeah, she started flirting with me. Telling me she was thinking about me all day and how she missed me. And then she came and put her arms around my neck.”

“And what did you do about it?” Steve could see the anger in Bucky’s eyes, and the hurt. 

“I took her arms off of me and came up here to talk to you about it. I know she was one of your favorite girls here so far, but I just needed you to know about this.”

Bucky sat down on his bed, placing his elbows on his knees and face in his hands. He couldn’t believe that this was happening right now. Chloe was someone he was really starting to gain feelings for; it truly hurt him to hear this about her. 

“Fuck elimination tomorrow. It’s happening tonight. Get your girls downstairs and ten minutes and I’ll get mine down there,” was all Bucky said as he got up from the bed and marched into the bathroom, slamming the door. 

~~~

“But I thought elimination was tomorrow!” Charlotte cried to Harlow when she got the text message along with all the other girls. “And ten minutes?? I can’t get ready in ten minutes!”

Harlow couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her new friend and her antics. However, deep down Harlow was nervous as hell. She knew elimination was tomorrow night and she was hoping she could talk to Steve a little bit more during the day tomorrow, but now that wasn’t really the case. 

There wasn’t really any time to change, so Harlow just brushed out her long wavy brunette hair, checked to make sure she didn’t have any mascara smudges, and walked down the stairs with all the other girls in the house. 

Harlow stood grouped with her roommates while Bucky’s girls were grouped together as well. Everyone waited on bated breath for the guys to join them. 

Luckily it didn’t take long before Harlow saw Steve and Bucky walking down the stairs. Immediately, her heart began to race, thinking back to the moment she saw Steve look at her while she was on the couch drawing. While she smiled at him, the look he gave her right back wasn’t friendly. She racked her mind, but couldn’t think of anything she had done to make him mad in such a short amount of time. Yet nevertheless, she was terrified of getting eliminated. 

“Something has been brought to my attention tonight,” Bucky began to say. Harlow wanted to look at Bucky while he was talking, but she couldn’t help but keep her eyes on Steve. His chiseled jaw was set firmly; his mouth in a thin line. There was only way one to describe what he looked like; pissed off. 

“While there are two of us here in the house, you ladies are only here for ONE of us,” Steve barked out and something snapped inside of Harlow. It was a tone she had never heard Steve use before and she could only guess it was the tone he used when he was on a mission, being the Captain that he is. She felt warmth pool between her thighs at his tone, surprised by how turned on she was at the moment. 

“And there seems to be one of you who just doesn’t understand that,” Bucky said, looking at each of the girls standing before them. “Chloe you’ve been eliminated. Gather your things and a car will be waiting for you outside.”

Harlow’s eyes widened at what just happened. She turned to see Chloe roll her eyes and shake her head before walking upstairs. 

“Does anyone else not understand how this works? Does anyone else have feelings for person they are not here for?” Steve asked, looking around the room. All the girls shook their heads, including Harlow. Bucky was nice and all, but Harlow was without a doubt, here for Steve. 

“Ok then. If you all still want a chance at love, then this elimination ceremony is over.”

Bucky and Steve gave the girls a nod before heading back upstairs. 

“What the hell just happened?” Harlow asked; the rest of the living room erupting into murmurs.


End file.
